Host Families Become Exactly That, Families

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As much fun as it is to glamorize the life of a baseball player, there are a number of challenges that we humble fans of the game don’t understand. Take, for example, a player from Latin America. Not only are they trying to prove themselves (like every other minor-leaguer), but they’re doing it with a language barrier that affects everything from nutrition to entertainment options.

Even for American-born players, basic living conditions can be a challenge, thanks to the pay scale for minor-leaguers. For every $100 million contract, there are hundreds of players barely living above the poverty line. Garrett Broshius wrote an article for Baseball America last season that discussed the economic challenge of minor-league life:

In 2004, I made $850 a month. Fresh out of college, I thought I was rich. Then I realized that I had bills to pay. Luckily I had received a modest signing bonus that helped at first, but most players receive no such bonuses. Many are forced to ask their parents for help.

This is where Host Families can help out, particularly in the Astros’ Single-A affiliate in Lexington, Kentucky.

David Barry, the Legends’ Box Office Manager and coordinator of the Host Family program, rated the program’s importance as a ten (on a scale of 1-to-10, obviously): “Most of our players are in their first full summer away from home. Some of them are in a new country,” Barry said in an interview, “It’s nice for them to know someone cares about them and can help them when different situations arise.”

Ryan Ferry, whose family has hosted 15 players since 2002, says the program is beneficial just by providing those items the players don’t typically think about – even if they elect to live in an apartment. “When they first get (to Lexington),” says Ferry, “We give them an ‘Essentials Kit’ of the things we know they need, but they tend to forget about, for example, garbage bags, a vacuum cleaner, a shower curtain for the apartment, et cetera. And if they stay with us, they get their own bedroom.”

That housing is important for some players who don’t make enough to afford an apartment, says Corpus Christi outfielder Brandon Barnes who has opted to live with Host Families since 2008 – when he was in Lexington. “The biggest benefit for living with a host family is that you do not have to pay rent like you would if you were to stay at an apartment,” Barnes explained, “You get to meet great people that truly care and love to help out. You get that sense of being home even though you are not really home.”

It’s also a comfort for Barnes’ family back in California. “My parents loved the fact that I was with another family because they knew I was going to be safe, and all I have to worry about is baseball.” There’s another advantage for Barnes’ parents: “When my parents come into town it gives them someone to hang out with and talk to.”

The Host Families are the player’s family for the few months they are with the team, providing encouragement to the player, says Ferry. “We often wait for them to come out of the clubhouse after the game to congratulate them if they have a good game, or encourage them when they’ve had a not-so-great game.” The connection to the player’s actual family is strong throughout the season, as Ferry sends the player’s “press” back to their parents throughout the season.

This arrangement provides a lasting relationship between the Host Family and the player. Barry knows of numerous weddings to which the Host Family has been invited, Ferry considers Ben Zobrist to be one of his best friends, and Barnes continues to stay in touch with his Lexington family.